Child of Darkness
by Yautjan
Summary: Discontinued.
1. Preface

Child of Darkness

Note: This fanfiction implies the following Blazing Sword pairings: EliwoodxFiora, HectorxLyndis, JaffarxNino.

One year has passed since Roy, Lord of Pherae and General of Lycia's armies, defeated Zephiel and broke the curse on Idoun. With the war finally over, countries work to establish peace. The talk of the land centers on both the rebuilding of the destroyed cities and the coming marriage between Lord Roy and Marquess Lilina, uniting Pherae and Ostia and fulfilling their dreams of combining the many territories into one, single kingdom to strengthen their ties and put a halt to corruption.

Queen Guinivere has come to Lycia, along with the chosen rulers of the other kingdoms, to sign numerous peace treaties to end all wars for as long as they hold. Lugh, a close friend of Marquess Lilina's and currently working as her most trusted advisor, lives in peace, remaining in contact with his traveling brothers, one of blood and one of friendship.

A golden age appears to be descending upon Elibe, one that has not existed since before the Scouring over a thousand years previous.

But no peace such as the one held between Dragons and Humans could ever exist without pain and suffering.

And the gods have yet to take their revenge on the most powerful of the Eight Generals for his deeds.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One – A Missing Treasure

-

The sound of trumpets echoed through the city, the steady beat of marching soldiers rumbling the ground. It had been a peaceful day, but the arrival of Queen Guinivere, the ruler of Bern, had disrupted the quiet streets of Ostia.

Not that it was a bad thing. The young ruler was coming to Lycia for the sole purpose of signing peace treaties with the other nations, to assure that another war could never break out. Scars riddled the land of Elibe, the gods' grave reminders of what happened when power became corrupt. The people were surprisingly resilient, pulling through despite the horrible pain of fighting.

It would still be better if it never happened again, though.

The red-clad procession was observed from doors and windows and rooftops, the Bernite soldiers taking up the streets proper. Sunlight danced off of crimson, ceremonial spears raised to the sky, almost as a tribute to the legion of Wyverns flying overhead. In the center rode the Queen herself, dressed in a long, flowing ivory dress, her light hair curled around her face.

Leaning over one of the balconies in the castle, the small child sighed. He had met the Queen in person before, and knew this huge ceremony probably wasn't to her tastes. Parchment shifted beneath his hand, and he looked back down to the sheet of paper, removing the quill from between his teeth and dipping it into the ink bottle, set on the stone ledge.

The most obvious feature of the boy was his vibrant, shoulder-length green hair, hanging messily around his pale face like a curtain. Sky-blue eyes blinked from beneath his bangs, shadowed by the dark red circlet he wore to prove his higher status in the ranks of the country.

He was relatively slender and toned, and some of it showed in the cuts of his rather feminine outfit. The basic top to his outfit was dark blue and trimmed in gold, with short, oversized sleeves and buttoned down the front. The Lycian style of the tunic ended six inches above his waist, where the fabric split apart on either side and fell in front and back of his body, hanging to his knees. Four clips held it together on either side, but his pale flesh was still visible, down to where his brown pants were tied around his hips. A single belt wrapped around his waist, though nothing was attached, as there was no need to carry around any medicine or magic tomes. His pants were tucked into leather boots that came within a few inches of his knees, the top fabric folded over and the hide strung together in the front. A pair of metal bands crossed over his ankles, accenting the dark brown shoes. Over his shoulders was draped his bright yellow cape, the frayed ends brushing the floor, held at his sternum by a dark red gem. To finish off this outfit, he wore fingerless, elbow-length gloves, though they had no more purpose than decoration.

The boy was short for fifteen—even shorter than General Roy himself, which in itself was a feat. The balcony wasn't very tall, either, though, so he was able to easily lean against the stone, sketching out the words that made up his letter.

_Dear brother,_

_How are you doing? I haven't written in a while. I've been so busy, with being Marquess Lilina's new advisor. Everyone treats me with respect, too. It's so weird. I can't say if I like it or not. I mean, I don't have to deal with being poor or underfed or anything, but I have to listen to the petty arguing all these nobles do. I know Lord Roy and Marquess Lilina are trying to unite everything, but it's been hard. All the corrupt Marquesses are making it so hard._

_Is your search going well? That was a dumb question. I'm sure it is. You've always been the over-achiever of us both. I wouldn't be surprised if by the time we were twenty, you would have this huge and amazing school of Da— sorry, Elder Magic that everyone would want to go to. Just so you know, Rei, if you ever need funding, I can always pull some strings with Roy and Lilina. Or just ask the favor. Now that I'm Lilina's advisor, I've been spending more time with them. They're much nicer than you think. They're just a few years older than us; I think they're still children at heart, too._

_Have you seen Chad around? I last heard he was somewhere in Ilia, but I wouldn't know. The guy is everywhere all the time. Are you still in Worde? I hope so, really… I miss you, Rei. I kinda wish you'd stayed here in Ostia. I have Roy and Lilina and Lance, but you're still my brother._

_For once, it'd be nice if you replied…if you want me to stop writing so many letters, you should respond for once. I get worried that you've died. I have matured since Bern killed Father, you know.  
_

_Oh, I just remembered. Queen Guinivere came to Ostia today. I can't wait for all these peace treaties to be signed. I want to go and rebuild the orphanage so then nobody has to suffer like we did. I'm stronger than Father, I know it! Nothing would come to harm in the new orphanage!_

_Anyway, I've got to wrap this up. Someone's knocking on the door to my suite. A suite, Rei! No more sharing rooms… though, it is lonely…_

_With love,_

_Lugh._

"Sir Lugh! Are you alright?" He straightened and turned around, leaning against the balcony casually.

"I'm fine!" he called in reply, corking the ink bottle and wiping ink off his hands and onto his front. "Come on in."

A soldier slipped in, clad in the blue and silver armor of Ostia. He looked overheated in the early summer weather, but he hid the discomfort well. "The Marquess wishes to see you, Sir," he said, standing straight and saluting.

Lugh turned back around, scooping up the letter from the stonework. "Hold on a moment, please," he said, returning to the overly-lavish room. The walls were painted red and purple, draped with rich, jewel-tone fabrics. On one side was a four-poster bed, the crest of Lycia stitched into the quilt. Lush carpets and animal hides covered the floor, soft couches and dressers against every wall. In one corner was his desk, finely crafted from cherry and piled high with official documents and other things.

He salvaged an envelope from the mess, folding and slipping the letter into the parchment. A candle was burning on the corner of the workspace, but it was quickly blown out, the melted purple wax poured onto the envelope as a seal. More digging assumed, until he recovered his stamp, with a personal crest engraved into the rubber: a single line that curved first to the right, around a sole circle, then around to the left in a loop. From the back of the first curve sprouted three wing-like designs, giving the crest a dragon-like appearance.

The stamp was pressed against the wax, then the seal blown on, to cool it. A single word was scrambled on the front as if in after-thought. Finally satisfied, Lugh returned to the soldier, holding the letter out. "Deliver this to Worde castle, to my brother, Rei, if you please."

"Yes sir," the soldier replied, taking the parchment. "The Lords are in the southern meeting room, with the Queen of Bern." He left, leaving Lugh a moment to collect himself. Despite the unusualness of his self-crafted outfit, he managed to look uncannily regal, like he had been born into the position he carried, and not a low-street orphan mage.

He was Lugh, advisor to the Marquess of Ostia, and one of the most powerful magicians in the world.

There wasn't much to complain about.

*

The three people sitting at the table glanced up as the door opened slowly. The green-haired boy poked his head inside, looking flustered. "Err…sorry I'm late, I got caught up doing something."

He stepped inside, shutting the door behind him, glancing to the blue-haired female at the near end of the table. Marquess Lilina was only seventeen, but she could have easily passed as either younger or older. Today, she was wearing a rather formal red and golden dress, a thin tiara pulling her hair from her face, topped with a single ruby. "Ah, hello, Lugh," she said. "It's alright. Please, sit."

Lugh slipped around the table, taking the only seat left unoccupied. He gathered his courage and looked up, maintaining what he hoped was his best political face. Opposite of him was General Roy, garbed in his normal blue and gold tunic and matching armor. His vibrant red hair looked neater than usual, though, which was surprising. Normally, the young lord of Pherae didn't care as much for something like personal appearance.

Sitting at the other end of the table was Queen Guinivere, the eldest in the group at twenty-eight and the most elegantly dressed. Her long blonde curls had been brushed behind her ears, revealing her slender face. It was hard to believe the young woman was the sister to King Zephiel himself.

"Now that we are all here," Roy said, "I have some personal matters I want to discuss." He leaned forward slightly, resting his arms against the table. "I would never mean insult to you, lady Guinivere, but I am simply stating the facts. A few days ago, a necklace was stolen from Thria. The Marquess says it was extremely valuable. This is only a rumor, but he claims that Bern stole this treasure."

"If that is the case," Guinivere replied with a raised eyebrow, "then it was done by rogues of my country. I am an ally of Lycia, as you know. Stealing is something I would never allow."

Roy leaned back, nodding. "That's what I thought."

"The Marquess of Thria is extremely upset by this," Lilina added, furrowing her brow. "Just this morning, he sent a letter claiming he would not sign the treaty to unite this nation if it was not found."

"What?!" Lugh and Roy both cried at the same time. The sage instantly took the fault and leaned back, averting his gaze. "That…" the red-head continued, fighting to not loose his temper. "Marquess Thria should know better than to rest something this important on a small object."

All eyes turned to Lugh, waiting for his input. For a second, he choked on his words, but eventually forced them out. "W-well, if this is resting on Marquess Thria's decision to unite this alliance, then measures should be taken to retrieve this necklace. If you wish, I can assemble a small squadron and track these thieves. If only a few go, then our work shouldn't be disrupted and the peace treaties can continue as planned."

Roy seemed satisfied by that. "Alright," he said. "Lugh, you're in charge of getting Thria back onto our side. I knew you'd be the man for the job. You're dismissed to begin immediately."

The green-haired boy stood, bowing. "I am honored, Lord. I beg your leave." He cast a glance at Guinivere, then departed, pausing to make sure his cloak didn't get trapped in the door as he closed it.

*

"You want just me?"

The paladin crossed his arms, his frown shadowed by his mint-green hair, dark eyes narrowed at the shorter, younger male. "Isn't that a pretty small amount of people to find a necklace?"

Lugh shook his head. "It's more than enough. I don't think we'll be dealing with people that are too powerful, you know? If we take too many soldiers, someone will sense something is wrong, and then the peace treaties might be interrupted." He watched the paladin ponder for a moment. "Come on, Lance, it's not that big of a deal. Just some idiots with a necklace."

Finally, the older male relented. "Alright," Lance said, letting his arms fall back to his side. "You win, pipsqueak. Where should we begin our search?" He adjusted his belt as he began to walk towards his room again, Lugh at his side. "Thria?"

"That's the best place to start," Lugh replied, looking at Lance like he was an idiot. "They might even be there, still. People will think they left, so if they stay close to the danger zone, nobody will actually find them." He stopped as the paladin did, in front of the latter's room. "I'll go pack my bag and meet you at the stable in one hour, alright?"

Lance's frown deepened. "Will we be able to slip off unnoticed? We're both advisors to Roy and Lilina, respectively. People'll get worried if we're not around."

"Thria is the closest territory to Ostia," Lugh replied. "If we ride fast, we'll be able to be there and back in four days, if the bandits prove easy to find. If not, I'm positive Roy and Lilina will arrange some excuse to our absence. It's not unlikely for us to leave on a political mission, correct?"

The older warrior rolled his eyes, and then ruffled Lugh's hair. "Alright, fine, fine, you win again, pipsqueak. One hour. Be there or I'll hunt you down. You still owe me for getting you out of that card game last month." He smirked as the sage blushed. "See? Don't get in people's debts, pipsqueak! They pull strings all the time. You're too young to gamble, anyway."

"I wasn't gambling!" he whined back, albeit with a grin. "Just learning for when I grow tall enough to look like I'm actually older than eleven." He stepped back, reaching up to try and straighten his green locks. "See you then."

"Right." Lance slipped into his room, leaving Lugh alone in the hallway. The sage stared at the door for a brief moment, before taking running back down the corridor, weaving around servants that made their way to their destinations, carrying food and laundry among other things. Some snapped at his rush, but he ignored them—at least, until one of the larger servant girls chased him down and tackled him to the ground.

*

Lance leaned forward, adjusting the straps of the saddle on the white horse. He had almost considered playing a practical joke on Lugh and readying something like a donkey for the sage to ride, but had resisted the urge. The boy was short and slightly immature at times, but he had a nasty talent at killing things in one hit with his powerful magic. Though the paladin was pretty sure Lugh wouldn't blow him to bits, there was no point taking the chance.

The stable door creaked, and the green-haired lancer glanced over his shoulder as the sage entered, rubbing salve over some bruises on his face. "Holy crap, what happened?" he asked, raising his eyebrows with concern.

"I pissed Olivia off again…" Lugh grumbled. "I accidentally bumped her in the hall and she flipped. I think that woman has temper control issues," he added, shuffling up to the other horse Lance had saddled and tying his bag to some of the ropes dangling from the leather.

"What, again? That's like, the seventh time this month. And they call you one of the most powerful magicians in Elibe?" Instantly, Lance ducked to the side, avoiding the small sphere of flames that exploded into existence where his head had been seconds before. "Just kidding, Lugh! Get a sense of humor!" He scrambled onto his equine, grabbing the reigns and double-checking he had his weapons.

Lugh frowned as he scrambled for a foothold to climb into the saddle of his horse. It took a moment, but eventually he had reached the seat. "Senses of humor are overrated," he said calmly. "Being funny means laughing and we _all_ know that's unhealthy."

"You've got some seriously warped logic, pipsqueak."

"You've got some seriously warped humor, you freak of nature."

"I told you to not call me that!" Lance complained as he ushered his steed out of the stable. Lugh followed, trying to balance grinning and being annoyed at his horse as it trotted along without a real sense of direction. "I'm tall, you're short! Wouldn't you be the freak of nature?"

"M-my puberty is just late!" Lugh argued, flicking his horse's reigns to speed the steed up. "At least, the growth-spurt part!" He gave a quick nod to the guards as they passed through the castle gates, and then returned to conversing with Lance. "I mean, look at General Roy! He's what, five foot three! I'm telling you, I'll get taller than him!"

"Absolutely positive?" Lance replied. "…Honestly, yeah, I wouldn't be surprised… the General's almost as much of a pipsqueak as you, Lugh." He ducked once again to avoid yet another combusting orb of fire.

"I already told you!" Lugh whined, "I am _not_ a pipsqueak!"

*

Darkness had fallen by the time Ostia's castle city had faded beyond the horizon. Normally, the two green-haired warriors would have stopped and built a fire, but the pressure of returning in time to continue supporting their lords was overpowering the need to sleep.

So they rode on, pausing only every so often if absolutely necessary. No more words were spoken between them, each man lost in their own thoughts. Lance could have been thinking about anything. His face was always etched into a slight scowl. One could say the man did so well in battle and gambles because of his perfect poker face.

Lugh, on the other hand, found himself continuously thinking about his brothers, both of blood and friendship. Rei was always on the move, and touched base only ever so often. It was depressing, in Lugh's opinion. The Druid was seeking power and to revive the Elder Magic… Wouldn't he have had better luck by staying in Ostia and making his face known? _I'll get him to realize that soon enough_, Lugh decided. _He can't stay away forever!_

He glanced up at Lance, who was still lost in his own thoughts, ahead of the sage. The green-haired teenager bit his lower lip, tightening his grip on his horse's reigns. The man seemed cheerful, but Lugh knew better than to believe it wasn't forced. Lance was not a happy man, that much was evident.

_Don't bother with other peoples' lives,_ he chided himself before he could even begin to wonder. _Worry about what you have to do. Find this necklace and return to Ostia so Roy and Lilina can finish these negations, get married and become king and queen of Lycia! Then maybe you can get a little more status… You were invited to that meeting with royalty, and no one else! If I work hard enough, I could become stronger… Then Rei will realize he'd be stronger in Ostia and come home! I won't rest until I can be at my brother's side again._

_I'll make sure he knows he can always depend on me. _

-

**Innocent and carefree? FOOLS. You have no idea what is awaiting.**

**Lance is OoC. I know. Whatever. You humans have problems with it you can GO TO HELL.**

**Roy is short. Ahaha. I like Short!Roy. No hero can be perfect.**

**I just realized the title 'Child of Darkness' belongs to Rei...or Ray…or Lleu…however you know him…whatever.**

**SO WHY DO I NOT HAVE REI AS A MAIN CHARACTER D:**

**STAY TUNED AND FIND OUT, HUMANS.**

**Btw this story has NO connections to Memories.**

**And for reference, my avatar is the same symbol Lugh's stamp had XD**

**Please review ;O It makes Moose a happy…moose.**

**~Muse**


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